8.2.2011 Roman helmet sold for £2 million

Ten years ago, an unknown buyer auctioned off a Roman bronze helmet found by a pair of metal detectors for $2 million. The original estimate was several times lower.

Ten years ago, a farmer became a millionaire when a pair of metal detectorists found a Roman bronze helmet on his land in Cumbria, north-west England. They had been searching the field for several years, but it wasn't until mid-2010 that they made the find of a lifetime.

The pair also came up with a hefty sum, although half of it went to the landowner. Initially, experts estimated the bronze helmet to be worth over £300,000. But the reality was even better. In February 2011, the rare helmet was auctioned off at Christie's, the famous London auction house, for a whopping two million pounds.

Only two similar helmets have been found in the UK in the past, which is why this find is so rare. The pair of treasure hunters who discovered the third piece wished to remain anonymous. The farmer, Eric Robinson, received half of the sale, or one million dollars. He was a generous father. He used the proceeds to buy homes for his two daughters.

Finally, the buyer of a helmet that was probably worn by soldiers at sporting events remained anonymous. He was willing to pay a truly unbelievable sum that wiped out the eyes of many an expert on the Roman period.

Among the bidders was the Carlisle Museum. "I was optimistic that we would get the helmet for our collection. The British Museum also supported us. It was important to us that such an artefact found in Cumbria should also remain here," hoped Andrew MacKay of the Carlisle Museum.

But they didn't have enough money to buy the helmet. As for the lucky finders, the media said they were a father and son from Peterlee, which is in County Durham. They searched the property in question and its surroundings for seven years before finding the treasure.

"All of a sudden they came across a beautiful item associated with the Romans. It is known that the local inhabitants kept sheep and cattle in the area, but nothing is known about the life of the Romans. So I left it to the experts to find out more about the helmet," said farmer Eric Robinson.

He said local villagers were delighted with the find. "They welcomed it very much. They were delighted that such a rare Roman helmet was found in a local field. It brought a bit of excitement to the village. But otherwise it didn't change us at all," another farmer told the BBC.

Sources: www.bbc.com